This quote explains that the dominant beliefs and values in any historical period are those promoted by the group holding economic and political power. It suggests that cultural and intellectual norms serve to maintain the status quo and justify existing inequalities, shaping public perception.
Quote by Karl Marx: “The ruling ideas of each age are ever the ideas of its ruling class.”
The ruling ideas of each age are ever the ideas of its ruling class.
Insight
Historical Context
In the context of the 1848 revolutions, Marx argued that the bourgeoisie's economic dominance was reflected in the prevailing liberal ideologies of the time. He sought to expose how these ideas justified the existing social order and suppressed revolutionary thought, maintaining their control.
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German philosopher, critic of political economy, economist, historian, sociologist, political theorist, journalist and socialist revolutionary. His best-known titles are the 1848 pamphlet The Communist Manifesto and the three-volume Das Kapital.
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